Tetsuya Tanaka Hittin’ 11

Live at Someday July 5

Tetsuya Tanaka--trumpet
others

Tetsuya Tanaka’s Hittin’ 11 is a tight, high-energy ensemble that has worked the sound of Maynard Ferguson into neat pieces that will appeal to a wide range of listeners. Ferguson’s many bands have long been one of the most popular in jazz, because of their high energy and polish. Ferguson’s many bands were always well liked by the public, though not always by jazz purists who felt some of his recordings were overly commercial. Most of the tunes chosen by Hittin’ 11 are taken from the Ferguson play book and the eleven members have their solos honed to a sharp edge. The upbeat pieces have well-written charts that everyone in the band knows seemingly by heart. Famous tunes such as “Break the Ice” had the audience at Someday jumping. Ballads such as “You Can Have Me Anytime” and “MacArthur Park” were handled with loving care and given smooth, lyrical solos. A few songs rested on rock rhythms, but the jazzier, funkier patterns gave the band more confidence and even stronger appeal. The retro sounds from guitar and electric piano, along with very deep bass playing, kept a variety of textures in the overall sound. Solos by all the band members were consistently dynamic. The only problem was, every solo could have been longer, giving the players a chance to really dig in and pull out even more energy. Tanaka’s solos, of course, stole the show. He can hit those stratospheric notes with piercing accuracy. Taking the lead line above the horn lines, Tanaka kept up an incredible display of high-end trumpeting. Solos went in two directions--high and higher. His ending notes held above the band’s take-outs were simply stunning. Few trumpeters can match his range and strength. Hittin’ 11 has not been together for so long, but they have a practiced, crisp sound that takes polish, tightness and fun as its guideposts. They are a band that has plenty of youthful depth to develop and the energy to do it.